Wednesday, December 24, 2003

the man in lincoln's nose ... and the epic journey on the chisholm trail

As part of my gentle journey into the North by Northwest DVD, I watched the accompanying behind-the-scenes documentary. Most of the stuff I already knew thanks to my status as a Hitchcock fan, a Bernard Herrmann fan, a film buff, blah blah. 'Twas fun, especially to see stuff broken up for you to analyze and understand. I even began watching the film with just the score on. Proof enough of Herrmann's greatness. And Saul Bass' opening sequence is still great. And now, for the movie itself ... waiting ... waiting...

Howard Hawks' Red River is an exhilirating experience. I have long since stopped worrying about the length of westerns. The good ones make good patient use of their time. John Wayne gets a multitextured role that presages his work in The Searchers. The conflict in the film is underscored by soaring and saddening moments, great dialogue, and the epic feel of a journey. Along on the Chisholm Trail. It's fun getting to the destination. And a great movie to boot.